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Baptism of Jesus
". Illuminated manuscript miniature attributed to Jan van Eyck, early 15th c.]] , 1803]] The baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of his public ministry. This event is described in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John's gospel does not directly describe Jesus' baptism. Most modern theologians view the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist as a historical event to which a high degree of certainty can be assigned. Along with the crucifixion of Jesus, most biblical scholars view it as one of the two historically certain facts about him, and often use it as the starting point for the study of the historical Jesus. The baptism is one of the five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus, the others being the Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension.Essays in New Testament interpretation by Charles Francis Digby Moule 1982 page 63''The Melody of Faith: Theology in an Orthodox Key'' by Vigen Guroian 2010 page 28 Most Christian denominations view the baptism of Jesus as an important event and a basis for the Christian rite of baptism (see also ). In Eastern Christianity, Jesus' baptism is commemorated on 6 January (the Julian calendar date of which corresponds to 19 January on the Gregorian calendar), the feast of Epiphany.http://www.pravoslavieto.com/calendar/feasts/01.06_Bogojavlenie/istoria.htm In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Churches and some other Western denominations, it is recalled on a day within the following week, the feast of the baptism of the Lord. In Roman Catholicism, the baptism of Jesus is one of the Luminous Mysteries sometimes added to the Rosary. It is a Trinitarian feast in the Eastern Orthodox Churches. In the Synoptic Gospels - Baptism of Christ]] Mark, Matthew, and Luke depict the baptism in parallel passages. In the gospels, the accounts of Luke and Mark record the voice as addressing Jesus by saying "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", while in Matthew the voice addresses the crowd "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." ( ) Eerdmans commentary on the Bible by James D. G. Dunn, John William Rogerson 2003 page 1010''The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke'' by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 pages 27–31 After the baptism, the Synoptic gospels describe the temptation of Jesus, where Jesus withdrew to the Judean desert to fast for forty days and nights. ; Matthew In , upon meeting Jesus, John said: "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" However, Jesus convinces John to baptize him nonetheless. Matthew uniquely records that the voice from heaven addresses the crowd, rather than addressing Jesus himself as in Mark and Luke. ; Luke Luke uniquely depicts John as a family relative of Jesus, with John's birth also announced by angel. Luke uniquely depicts John as showing public kindness to tax collectors and encouraging the giving of alms to the poor (as in ). Luke records that Jesus was praying when Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him. Luke clarifies that the spirit descended in the "bodily form" of a dove, as opposed to merely "descending like" a dove. In , the ministry of Jesus is described as following "the baptism which John preached". In the Gospel of John in .The Lamb of God by Sergei Bulgakov 2008 page 263 by Vannini, 17th century.]] In rather than a direct narrative, John the Baptist bears witness to the spirit descending like a dove.Jesus of history, Christ of faith by Thomas Zanzig 2000 page 118 The Gospel of John ( ) specifies "Bethabara beyond Jordan",Strong's Greek 962. Béthabara "Of Hebrew origin (bayith and abarah); ferry-house; Bethabara (i.e. Bethabarah), a place on the Jordan -- Bethabara." i.e., Bethany in Perea as the location where John was baptizing when Jesus began choosing disciples, and in there is mention of further baptisms in Ænon "because there was much water there".Big Picture of the Bible—New Testament by Lorna Daniels Nichols 2009 page 12''John'' by Gerard Stephen Sloyan 1987 page 11 narrates an encounter, between Jesus and two of his future disciples, who were then disciples of John the Baptist. New Testament History by Richard L. Niswonger 1992 pages 143–146 The episode in forms the start of the relationship between Jesus and his future disciples. When John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, the "two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus".Jesus of Nazareth by Duane S. Crowther 1999 page 77''The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels'' by Douglas Redford 2007 page 92''A Summary of Christian History'' by Robert A. Baker, John M. Landers 2005 pages 6–7 One of the disciples is named Andrew, but the other remains unnamed, and Raymond E. Brown raises the question of his being the author of the Gospel of John himself.The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved by J. Phillips 2004 pages 121–123 In the Gospel of John, the disciples follow Jesus thereafter, and bring other disciples to him, and portrays the disciples of John as eventually merging with the followers of Jesus.The Gospel and Epistles of John: A Concise Commentary by Raymond Edward Brown 1988 pages 25–27 In the Gospel of the Nazarenes According to the non-canonical Gospel of the Nazarenes, the idea of being baptized by John came from the mother and brothers of Jesus, and Jesus himself, originally opposed, reluctantly accepted it.Jerome, quoting "The Gospel According to the Hebrews" in Dialogue Against Pelagius III:2 Benjamin Urrutia avers that this version is supported by the Criterion of Embarrassment, since followers of Jesus would not have invented an episode in which Jesus changes his mind and comes to accept someone else's plan. Plus, the story came from the community that included the family of Jesus, who would have guaranteed the authenticity of the narrative.Guy Davenport and Benjamin Urrutia, The Logia of Yeshua / The Sayings of Jesus (1996), - page 51. Location showing Bethabara east of the Jordan River]] The Gospel of John ( ) refers to Enon near Salim as one place where John the Baptist baptized people, "because there was much water there". Separately, states that John the Baptist was baptizing in "Bethany beyond the Jordan". This is not the village Bethany just east of Jerusalem, but is generally considered to be the town Bethany, also called Bethabara in Perea on the Eastern bank of the Jordan near Jericho. In the 3rd century Origen, who moved to the area from Alexandria, suggested Bethabara as the location.Jesus and Archaeology by James H. Charlesworth 2006, Eedrsmans pages 437–439 In the 4th century, Eusebius of Caesarea stated that the location was on the west bank of the Jordan, and following him, the early Byzantine Madaba Map shows Bethabara as (Βέθαβαρά). The biblical baptising is related to springs and a Wadi (al-Kharrar) close to the Eastern site of the Jordan River,The Synoptics by Jan Majernik, Joseph Ponessa and Laurie Manhardt 2005 page 29 not the Jordan itself. The pilgrimage sites, important for both Christians and Jews have shifted place during history. The site of Al-Maghtas(baptism, or immersion in Arabic) on the East side of the Jordan has been deemed the earliest place of worship. This possible site was found following UNESCO-sponsored excavations. Al-Maghtas was visited by Pope John Paul II in March 2000, and he said: "In my mind I see Jesus coming to the waters of the river Jordan not far from here to be baptized by John the Baptist".Vatican website: Address of John Paul II at Al-Maghtas The Muslim conquest put an end to the Byzantine buildings on the east bank of the Jordan River, the later reverence took place just across the river in the West Bank at Qasr el Yahud. Chronology The baptism of Jesus is generally considered as the start of his ministry, shortly after the start of the ministry of John the Baptist.Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 page 224–229''Christianity: an introduction'' by Alister E. McGrath 2006 pages 16–22''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 pages 140–141 states that:Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible 2000 Amsterdam University Press page 249''The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke, Volume 1'' by Craig A. Evans 2003 pages 67–69 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea ... , the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. There are two approaches to determining when the reign of Tiberius Caesar started. The traditional approach is that of assuming that the reign of Tiberius started when he became co-regent in 11 AD, placing the start of the ministry of John the Baptist around 26 AD. However, some scholars assume it to be upon the death of his predecessor Augustus Caesar in 14 AD, implying that the ministry of John the Baptist began in 29 AD.Luke 1-5: New Testament Commentary by John MacArthur 2009 page 201 The generally assumed dates for the start of the ministry of John the Baptist based on this reference in the Gospel of Luke are about 28-29 AD, with the ministry of Jesus with his baptism following it shortly thereafter.The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 page 114''Christianity and the Roman Empire: background texts'' by Ralph Martin Novak 2001 pages 302–303 Historicity of Jesus' baptism by Tiffany.]] Most modern scholars believe that John the Baptist performed a baptism on Jesus, and view it as a historical event to which a high degree of certainty can be assigned.The Gospel of Matthew by Daniel J. Harrington 1991 page 63''Christianity: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Guide'' by Glenn Jonas, Kathryn Muller Lopez 2010, pp. 95–96''Studying the historical Jesus: evaluations of the state of current research'' by Bruce Chilton, Craig A. Evans 1998 pp. 187–198 James Dunn states that the historicity of the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus "command almost universal assent".Jesus Remembered by James D. G. Dunn 2003 page 339 Dunn states that these two facts "rank so high on the 'almost impossible to doubt or deny' scale of historical facts" that they are often the starting points for the study of the historical Jesus. John Dominic Crossan states that it is historically certain that Jesus was baptised by John in the Jordan.Who Is Jesus? by John Dominic Crossan, Richard G. Watts 1999 pages 31–32 In the Antiquities of the Jews (18.5.2) 1st-century historian Flavius Josephus also wrote about John the Baptist and his eventual death in Perea.Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible 2000 page 583''Behold the Man: The Real Life of the Historical Jesus'' by Kirk Kimball 2002 page 654 The existence of John the Baptist within the same time frame as Jesus, and his eventual execution by Herod Antipas is attested to by 1st-century historian Flavius Josephus and the overwhelming majority of modern scholars view Josephus' accounts of the activities of John the Baptist as authentic.Craig Evans, 2006 "Josephus on John the Baptist" in The Historical Jesus in Context edited by Amy-Jill Levine et al. Princeton Univ Press pages 55–58''The new complete works of Josephus by Flavius Josephus'', William Whiston, Paul L. Maier pages 662–663 Josephus establishes a key connection between the historical events he recorded and specific episodes that appear in the gospels. The reference in the Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus to John's popularity among the crowds (Ant 18.5.2) and how he preached his baptism is considered a reliable historical datum.John the Baptist: prophet of purity for a new age by Catherine M. Murphy 2003 page 53 Unlike the gospels, Josephus does not relate John and Jesus, and does not state that John's baptisms were for the remission of sins.Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times by Paul Barnett 2009 page 122Claudia Setzer, "Jewish Responses to Believers in Jesus", in Amy-Jill Levine, Marc Z. Brettler (editors), The Jewish Annotated New Testament, page 576 (New Revised Standard Version, Oxford University Press, 2011). However, almost all modern scholars consider the Josephus passage on John to be authentic in its entirety and view the variations between Josephus and the gospels as indications that the Josephus passages are authentic, for a Christian interpolator would have made them correspond to the Christian traditions.Evans, Craig A. (2006). "Josephus on John the Baptist". In Levine, Amy-Jill. The Historical Jesus in Context. Princeton Univ Press. . pages 55–58Eddy, Paul; Boyd, Gregory (2007). The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition. . page 130 One of the arguments in favour of the historicity of the baptism of Jesus by John is that it is a story which the early Christian Church would have never wanted to invent, typically referred to as the criterion of embarrassment in historical analysis.Jesus of Nazareth: An Independent Historian's Account of His Life and Teaching by Maurice Casey 2010 page 35 Based on this criterion, given that John baptised for the remission of sins, and Jesus was viewed as without sin, the invention of this story would have served no purpose, and would have been an embarrassment given that it positioned John above Jesus.Jesus as a figure in history: how modern historians view the man from Galilee by Mark Allan Powell 1998 page 47''The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide'' by Gerd Theissen, Annette Merz 1998 page 207 The Gospel of Matthew attempts to offset this problem by having John feel unworthy to baptise Jesus and Jesus giving him permission to do so in . The gospels are not the only references to the baptisms performed by John and in , the apostle Peter refers to how the ministry of Jesus followed "the baptism which John preached".Who is Jesus?: an introduction to Christology by Thomas P. Rausch 2003 page 77 Another argument used in favour of the historicity of the baptism is that multiple accounts refer to it, usually called the criterion of multiple attestation.John the Baptist: prophet of purity for a new age by Catherine M. Murphy 2003 pages 29–30 Technically, multiple attestation does not guarantee authenticity, but only determines antiquity.Jesus and His Contemporaries: Comparative Studies by Craig A. Evans 2001 page 15 However, for most scholars, together with the criterion of embarrassment it lends credibility to the baptism of Jesus by John being a historical event.An introduction to the New Testament and the origins of Christianity by Delbert Royce Burkett 2002 pages 247–248''Who is Jesus?'' by Thomas P. Rausch 2003 page 36''The relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth: A Critical Study'' by Daniel S. Dapaah 2005 page 91 Artistic depictions While the gospel of Luke is explicit about the Spirit of God descending in the shape of a dove, the wording of Matthew is vague enough that it could be interpreted only to suggest that the descent was in the style of a dove. Although a variety of symbolisms were attached to doves at the time these passages were written, the dove imagery has become a well known symbol for the Holy Spirit in Christian art.Clarke, Howard W. The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew". The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971. Depictions of the baptismal scene typical show the sky opening and the Holy Spirit descending as a dove towards Jesus.Medieval art: a topical dictionary by Leslie Ross 1996 page 30 File:Bautismo de Cristo por Navarrete el Mudo.jpg|Juan Navarrete, 1567 File:Guido Reni - The Baptism of Christ - Google Art Project.jpg|Guido Reni, c. 1623 File:Porcelaine chinoise Guimet 281111.jpg|Chinese porcelain, Qing dynasty, early 18th century File:Bogojavlenie.jpg|Eastern Orthodox icon File:Gerard David - Triptych of Jan Des Trompes - WGA6031.jpg|Gerard David - Triptych of Jan Des Trompes, c. 1505 File:Gregorio Fernández - Bautismo 20140703.jpg|Gregorio Fernández, c. 1630 File:Gagarin_KreschenieHristovo.jpg|Grigory Gagarin, c. 1840—1850 Music The reformer Martin Luther wrote a hymn about baptism, based on biblical accounts about the baptism of Jesus, " " (1541). It is the basis for a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, , first performed on 24 June 1724. The Country Music duo The Louvin Brothers covered a song on their 1959 album Satan Is Real called "The River of Jordan" which its first verse references John's baptism of Jesus and how God's power filled the air and the power of the river See also * Ænon * Al Maghtas * Bethabara * Chronology of Jesus * Jesus in Christianity * Life of Jesus in the New Testament * Ministry of Jesus * New Testament places associated with Jesus * Qasr el Yahud * Transfiguration of Jesus References External links * *Baptism of Jesus - Catholic Encyclopedia Category:1st-century Christianity Category:Baptism Category:Christian terminology Category:Gospel episodes Category:Gospel of Luke Category:Gospel of Mark Category:Gospel of Matthew Category:John the Baptist Category:Luminous Mysteries Category:Places related to the Holy Spirit in religious history